This updated review includes Walkingmama customer feedback from 2013. I often suggest BOB to parents of young babies, under 2 years old, as the seat back is a bit short for older kids. The main question from the parents’ side is: why choose Ironman over Revolution? My answer is: Ironman is the model that will remain stable and confident at higher than average running speeds. If you’re planning on just strolling around malls, you might find Revolution suits you better.
Unmatched for quality – Bob Ironman Stroller perfectly meets all requirements for jogging, rollerblading and active walking.
Walkingmama says: Bob Ironman is an excellent, well-made jogger with every possible extra for a smooth ride and a child’s comfort. However, note that the seat isn’t the largest and the handle is not adjustable.
Bob Ironman gets fantastic scores from professional reviewers. The experts on baby gear describe BOB Ironman’s reliability as excellent. The vast majority of parents rate it highly, based on its excellent quality, durability, lightweight structure, easy set up and storage, and smooth ride. According to parent reviews, it’s well worth the extra money.
Table of Contents
SUMMARY: BOB Ironman
BOB Ironman is an exceptional baby stroller made for sports and real life. Running, hiking, active walking and, no doubt, rollerblading, were what it was made for. It’s safe and stable, with a fixed front wheel, hand brake and 5-point harnesses.Thanks to its aluminum frame, it’s sturdy and lightweight.
This jogging stroller passes the real life test with flying colors: it has an adjustable seat, great sunshade canopy, large under seat basket, sit back pocket, and amazing two-step folding. The seat is wide, although, not the widest when compared with Baby Jogger FIT or Joovy.
I think it is a well-made jogging stroller, designed with parents and children in mind. However, they haven’t thought about the different heights of runners: the handle is not adjustable, which is a real disappointment.
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Is BOB Ironman good for sports?
Bob Ironman is an official stroller of the Ironman Triathlon – for sporty parents that love high-performance and endurable gear.
Alignment – It’s the only stroller on the market that has a track adjustment knob to keep it rolling straight. Alignment is a typical concern when it comes to strollers – BOB deals with it better than the rest, as it is so easy to adjust the front wheel on the fly.
It’s also one of the lightest on the market: only 22 lbs, which offers great assistance when pushing your little one around.
The main sport stroller things: a fixed big front wheel, hand brake and 5-point harnesses. A nice add-on is the wrist strap which helps you secure the stroller while walking, rollerblading or running.
Bob Ironman Jogging Stroller has an exceptional shock absorbing system– rollerblading, as well as off-road, is just perfect with BOB Ironman.
An aluminum frame – lightweight and durable, thin tires that ensure an easy run, as well as lightweight alloy wheels with pneumatic tires and tubes that make it fast.
Another useful feature is the front wheel tracking adjustment knob – to keep you rolling straight, which is especially important for fast running and rollerblading.
A viewing window lets you keep an eye on your baby, so you don’t have to stop every few minutes.
BOB Ironman is nicely designed creating a sporty mood which can’t be underestimated when it comes to your commitment to exercise – BOB almost calls out to you to do your daily jog! Many moms acknowledge that they have lost their baby weight and got into good running shape thanks to this stroller. In addition, check out BOB Ironman’s impressive real-life triathlon capabilities here: http://www.pacetrek.com/bob_stroller.htm
Is Bob Ironman good for Walkingmama Stroller Fitness?
For Walkingmama Stroller Fitness workouts, an adjustable handle is a must: to work out different groups of muscles, you need be able to adjust the handle to redirect the load.
In general, I have to point out the importance of an adjustable handle: if you’re an average-sized man or woman and the handle height suits you, this is probably not going to be a problem for you. But if, say, you and your (shorter) wife will both be using this stroller for running or rollerblading, you’ll be much more tempted to hire a baby-sitter or to look for a stroller with an adjustable handle.
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Is BOB Ironman good for real life?
The BOB Ironman jogging stroller is made for real life conditions:
It allows you to pack up the stroller and go anywhere for an entire day feeling free and comfortable.
The stroller has an adjustable seat so your child can sleep in the stroller. BOB Ironman has one of the best sunshade canopies I’ve seen.
Folding – very straightforward, two-steps, performed with just one hand. This is appreciated by a lot of parents according to the reviews.
Its high load capacity of 70 lbs, makes it very sturdy and therefore, durable.
Storage space – BOB Ironman allows you to bring along everything you need and do your shopping along the way, without sacrificing speed or comfort. The large and convenient storage basket and the handy backseat pocket fit an entire life support system including food, water, clothes, toys and other necessities – enough to keep you going for a whole day. Another useful thing that only this stroller and Joovy ATS have – inner pockets for your child’stoys and snacks.
Old cobblestone roads and bumpy streets aren’t problems for Bob Ironman thanks to its great shock absorbing system. It will stay in great condition and won’t need to be replaced – even after several years of use.
As for myself, I had a stroller without shock absorbers because I thought we didn’t really need them – this was a mistake! Shock absorbers are very useful, particularly when walking on bumpy roads, over curbs, steps, etc – the baby doesn’t shake or wobble as much.
Quality of fabric – the tough stain-resistant polyester rip-stop fabric ensures maximum comfort for the child – it’s not noisy, and it’s thick enough to protect the child from extreme temperatures. BOB Ironman’s bright colors are just great for safe jogging in the evenings – it has enough reflective tape to ensure its visibility in the dark.
IMPROVEMENTS FROM 2010:
Bob Ironman was being produced even before 1999, so here are the latest improvements from 2010:
- Contemporary look with new colors
- Integrated Accessory Adapter for easy installation of accessories
- Redesigned seat with heat-press technology, additional padding and seat-back support to prevent slouching
- Easily adjustable 5-point harness
- Increased strength and reliability of the suspension system
| SPECIFICATIONS: | DIMENSIONS: |
|---|---|
| Weight (Net): 23lb, 10.6kg Capacity: 70lb/31.8kg (Occupant plus luggage) Frame Materials: High strength aluminum alloy Tires: Pneumatic 16″ x 1.5″ Semi-slick tires Tubes: Pneumatic with schrader valve Hub: Quick release axle with sealed cartridge bearings Wheels: Aluminum alloy rim Bearings: Sealed cartridge ball bearings Spokes: Stainless steel spokes and alloy nipples Rear Brake: Foot-activated parking brake Hand Brake: Caliper type hand brake on front wheel Weight limit:70 lbs/32 kg Warranty: 5 years |
Wheel Base: 29in (74cm) Overall Length: 50in (128cm) Handle Bar Height: 40in (101cm) Overall Width: 25in (64cm) Interior Seat Width: 14.5in (37cm) |
COMPATIBILITY:
With the addition of the corresponding BOB Infant Car Seat Adapter, the BOB Ironman Stroller is compatible with the following infant car seats:
- Graco: SnugRide, SnugRide 32 & SnugRide 35
- Chicco: KeyFit & KeyFit 30
- Peg Perego: Primo Viaggio SIP 30/3
Are there any Weaknesses?
It has a non-adjustable handle – this is a disappointment. Few situations are more frustrating than trying to do a decent run with a stroller handle that doesn’t fit your height. C’mon, sport doesn’t like compromise.
The foot space for the child’s legs is a bit narrow. It’s also placed a bit too high, which doesn’t allow the child to extend their legs and still keep them on the footrest.
Seat height is a bit short – 21 inches vs 24′ for Baby Jogger FIT. Pay attention if considering BOB for bigger kids. If you put a really heavy diaper bag on the handle, it may fall back (when the stroller is empty) – but that’s true of almost all jogging strollers 🙂 There are no cup holders, but you can buy a cup holder console separately.
Bob Ironman weather shield doesn’t cover the sides of the stroller. If there is heavy rain or a strong cold wind, you can’t keep going, because your child will be wet and freezing very quickly.
Another misfortune: the weather shield doesn’t allow you to cover the sleeping position, just sitting. So, if it suddenly rains and your child is sleeping, you’ll have to head for home to keep him dry.
As parents say, they like the feel of the Ironman, but the price makes them wonder if they really need its high-end features.
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Hi, how would this go running along streets? Not sure how the fixed front wheel would work with lots of street corners? Thanks
Hi Paula,
Yeah, it feels a bit awkward making turns with the fixed wheel.
But there’re actually even two ways to make turns: to lift or to torque.
Lift – if you need to make a big turn, such as turning a corner, you will need to push down on the handlebar to lift the front wheel off the ground and pivot on the back wheels. Just bring your body in close to the handlebar to take advantage of your core strength and possibly even the weight of your upper body.
Torque – for smaller turns and/or higher speeds (more when you’re running than for the walking) try heeling the stroller to the opposite direction; heel the stroller’s bar right to turn left and vice versa. It’s more like a side push that will torque the front wheel in the direction you want to go.
So the BoB Ironman, certainly, is able to make turns and corners on the streets – with no problem. You just have to get used to it.
Hope it helps!
Lena